It's never been a better time to be a car shopper. While the auto industry has been hammered—and hard—the past 4-5 years from bankruptcies and earthquakes, to competition from unexpected quarters (i.e., Hyundai and Kia), the survivors are stronger than ever and hungry for you, the consumer, to buy their products. Case in point: Nissan.Nissan currently has 7.4-percent of the U.S. marketshare, according to Ward's Auto. The automaker recently announced it intends to increase that figure up to 10-percent by 2015 or 2016. To meet the lofty goal, Nissan plans to release five all-new or heavily revamped products through the next 2013 which include:

2013 Nissan Altima: Making its debut at the 2012 New York Auto show, Nissan revamped its flagship mid-sized sedan with a redesigned exterior, revamped interior, and refined engines. One of the most significant changes for 2013 is a drop in weight; the 2013 model is nearly eighty pounds lighter than the 2012 model. Such weight loss usually translates to better fuel economy from vehicles, which means savings to car owners.

Expect the 2013 Altima to go on sale later this month.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder: The Nissan Pathfinder concept made its debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Expected to go on sale sometime in the third quarter this year, Nissan ditched the prior generation's underlying truck-based framework, or chassis, and replaced it with car-based one. This makes the production version of 2013 Pathfinder handle and ride more smoothly than its predecessor as well as get better fuel economy.

2013 Nissan Sentra: Officially, Nissan has released little information on its compact sedan, which competes against the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and the Ford Focus. In reality, Nissan actually debuted the Sentra a couple of months ago, but the Asian model called the Sylphy. Full details on the American version have not been released, though it's scheduled to go on sale sometime in the fall.

Nissan Rogue, Versa: New models of the crossover and compact hatchback are scheduled to be launched next year. No details have been release but expect them to be more fuel efficient than the current models.

You probably noticed an emphasis on fuel economy. Well, that's deliberate. As Americans tighten their belts and pocketbooks, they're placing savings at the pump on the top of their car shopping list. Nissan recognizes this priority. States Rebecca Lindland, an analyst at IHS Automotive, "Nissan's vehicles have been flashy and polarizing in traditionally conservative market segments. Class-leading fuel economy can help them appeal to conservative buyers. If you're No. 1 in fuel economy, that'll get you on the shopping list of consumers who are indifferent to your design or performance."Source: Detroit Free Press

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